PRESENTATION ON CAPACITY BUILDING OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS

THROUGH ADDRESSING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL TO FIGHT AGAINST DISASTER

AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY FROM COASTAL AREA OF BANGLADESH

UMMEY QULSUM NIPUN, Save the Children USA, BDCO 28/04/2010

5TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “ADOLESCENT GIRLS-CORNERSTONE OF SOCIETY: BUILDING

EVIDENCES AND POLICIES FOR INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES” APRIL 26-28, 2010 NEW YORK, USA

Outline of the Discussion

  Severe Consequences of Climate Change   Climate Change: Vulnerability of Bangladesh   Sea Level Rise   Cyclone   Vulnerability Assessment from Gender Perspective   A Case Study of Cyclone AILA   Role of Adolescent Girls   Methodology   What can be done?   How it can be done?   Whom to engage?   How to engage?

Severe Consequences of Climate Change

  Temperature Rise

–  Land Surface Temperature

–  Sea Surface Temperature

  Variation in Precipitation (Rainfall,

Snow, Hail, Sleet)

  Ice Melting and Sea Level Rise

Sea L

eve

l R

ise

AIL

A

Vulnerability Assessment from Gender Perspective

  Women are extremely vulnerable to natural hazards   In 1991 cyclone, 90% of the victims were women and children

  Ingestion of saline water creates various problems for pregnant women

  During cyclones and flood, women and adolescent girls suffer as sanitation system are destroyed

  Women find it difficult to move quickly to safety during disaster due to traditional clothing

  During natural disasters, more women die (compare to men) because they are not adequately warned, cannot swim well or cannot leave the house and property alone

  Due to social restrictions, women cannot access the early warning messages

A Case study of AILA

  AILA hit Bangladesh on 25 May 2009   A total of 190 people were killed and 7103 people

were injured

AILA Victim: Meherunnesa

Role of Adolescent Girls

  Build capacity of community through formation of “Knowledge Transfer Group”

  Having easy access to each household at community level, adolescent girls can disseminate early warning messages

  They can identify and address the gender based special needs

  keep the community informed about the service providing agencies and also about the services they provide

Individual Discussion

Formation of Self Help Group (16 members)

Local Government Officials, School teachers, Religious leaders, Political leaders, Community people, Youth group

Capacity building on 1. How to adapt with climate change? 2. How to manage disaster situation (Pre & Post)?

ACTIVITIES 1.  Focus Group Discussion 2.  Individual Discussion 3.  Key Informant Interview

TOOLS

Capacity building of this group through in-house training

School going girls (4) Adolescent

mothers (4) Recently married girls (4) College going

girls (4)

What can be done

  Capacity building of adolescent girls

  Bring them under one umbrella

  Make them aware about the challenges of climate change and natural disasters

  Make them understand what they can do for their community

How it can be done

  Assess the community needs through  Key Informant Interview   Individual Discussion  Focus Group Discussion

  Selection of adolescent girls  4 school going girls  4 college going girls  4 recently married girls  4 adolescent mothers

  Facilitation of in-house capacity building training

  Formation of “Self Help Group” with 16 well trained adolescent girls

  The Self help group will  Act as media for knowledge transfer  Raise community awareness on adaptation to climate

change  Act as “Disaster Manager” before, during and after

disaster event

How it can be done

Whom to engage

Along with the adolescent girls, the project will involve   Local government officials   School teachers   Religious leaders   Political leaders   Community people   Youth group All of these actors have significant role behind the

sustainability and success of the Self help group

How to engage

Stakeholders Tools

Local Government Officials, School teachers, Religious leaders, Political leaders

Key Informant Interview

Community people Focus Group Discussion

Adolescent girls, Community youth

Individual discussion

THANK YOU